60 INATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE. [1820. 
though not many days' journey to the south, they 
have not that strong and warm north wind in 
summer, perhaps from the intervention of the 
Reyner Mountains. Their most powerful sum- 
mer wind is from the west. 
The South African nations only cultivate the 
ground in the vicinity of towns, though they have 
cattle-places at the distance of one and two days' 
journey. They do not, so far as I have observed, 
raise grain at any of those stations. Till the 
present system shall undergo a complete revolu- 
tion, such a population can never abound in 
grain, nor can it become an article of trade. The 
land that may fairly be claimed by each nation 
is capable of supporting more than twenty times 
the population, if the ground were to be culti- 
vated, which would require comparatively little 
labour. 
12th. Mahootoo, the queen, and part of her 
family, attended worship in the morning. Mateebe 
sent an apology by her for his absence, having 
gone on a commando to bring back the runaway 
captain. In a commando, such as that on which 
Mateebe went, they are not very anxious about 
apprehending the man; to seize his cattle is iheir 
chief object. Should they get possession of 
them, they are certain the owner will follow ; 
and if not, the cattle will be theirs, and the man 
